Political Campaigning

We work closely with the Integrated Healthcare Collaborative (IHC) to raise the profile of Shiatsu and move towards being acknowledged as part of mainstream healthcare. 

The Integrated Healthcare Collaborative (IHC) is a collection of 24 leading professional associations and stakeholders within complementary, traditional and natural healthcare, working together on common areas of interest - to increase access to these therapies, to promote greater integration with conventional Western medicine, and to improve patient outcomes.

The IHC is the largest collaboration of key organisations in the field of complementary, traditional and natural healthcare anywhere in the world. At the heart of their work is the knowledge and expertise of their member organisations, who represent the very best in the field.

Survey of Practitioners

In October and November last year, the IHC carried out the largest known survey of the working practices and concerns in the field. It has given them an in-depth picture of the industry. Thank you to everyone who took part.

​The results gave a valuable insight into current working practices and challenges faced by therapists and practitioners across the sector.

In total, 1351 therapists and practitioners shared their experience of working post Covid and during a cost of living crisis. The survey found that therapists and practitioners across the industry were experiencing challenging times following the Covid shutdown, with 58% reporting a decrease in their income since before Covid. At the same time, 68% reported that their own costs in providing services had increased. However, less than half had, or intended to, raise their prices, some because they were worried that they may lose clients if they did, and others because they did not want to hinder patients who needed support but were struggling to access it due to financial constraints. 

Access the links below for full survey results